1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plant supporting stakes, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved plant supporting stake which provides a self watering and fertilizing function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plant watering and feeding devices are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,468, which issued to S. Eliot on Oct. 15, 1957, discloses a combination plant prop and feeder which essentially comprises a hollow tube positionable in the soil proximate a plant. Snap-on straps are attachable to the prop and serve to hold the plant in an abutting relationship, while the tube may be filled with water and fertilizer to effect a slow and continual feeding of the plant. The Eliott plant feeder utilizes a single opening at the bottom of the tube for permitting water flow outwardly therefrom, and accordingly, this device would most likely provide an uneven watering and feeding of the plant's roots. Further, no provision is made for accommodating plant growth, whereby apparently the stake would have to be replaced with a larger stake as the associated plant grew.
A more advanced design of a plant watering and feeding device is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,774, which issued to R. Delbuguet on Oct. 10, 1967. This device essentially comprises a hollow stake positionable in the soil next to a plant, and includes a plurality of water and fertilizer distributing holes in a bottom portion thereof. The device further includes a top fill cap which permits a filling of the stake with the desired liquid, and also includes a plurality of through-extending apertures along the entire axial length of the stake. These apertures are designed to receive tying cord and the like, for attaching the associated plant to the stake. However, the device is not particularly well adapted for accommodating the growth of a plant, inasmuch as it would be constantly necessary to reattach the plant to the device as the plant increases in size.
As can be appreciated, the above-discussed patents describe plant supporting and feeding stakes which are illustrative of a far larger number of such stakes that are know in the prior art. In this regard, a large number of patents have issued on various modifications of these devices, and apparently, little or no commercial success has been achieved with the designs presently known. Most likely, substantial problems have arisen regarding the manufacture of the stakes, as well as the inability of presently known designs to accommodate plant growth. As such, it would appear that there exists a continuing need for new and improved self watering and feeding stakes which would remove the necessity of continually reattaching the associated plants thereto, and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.